| Author | Post |
|---|
Lisa.Coletto.Cohen
Member
| Joined: | Thu Feb 21st, 2008 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 108 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sun May 4th, 2008 02:37 pm |
|
| The Chief is a smart guy. I have gotten to know him a little since his hiring. He is very pragmatic and has the best interests of both his staff and the residents of Queen Creek in his mind. We are very fortunate to have been able to hire someone with both his experience and his integrity. I for one am really happy to have him on board.
|
QCVillager
Member
|
Posted: Sat May 3rd, 2008 02:41 pm |
|
| Thank you Chief Summers for being out in front of service delivery and at same time being cognizant of the financial constraints under which the Town currently operates.
|
QCVillager
Member
|
Posted: Sat May 3rd, 2008 02:38 pm |
|
Queen Creek fire chief wants to stall new station
Summers seeks to remodel, expand current facility
By SARAH J. BOGGAN TRIBUNE
CONTACT WRITER:
(480) 898-6574 or sboggan@evtrib.com
Queen Creek’s fire chief has a plan to boost service during lean economic times.
Chief Van Summers said Thursday that building a new downtown station is beneficial to the town because of its proximity to commercial buildings and capability of reaching the north end of town.
At a budget committee meeting Thursday, Summers recommended stalling a planned fire station at Sossaman and Cloud roads.
He favors boosting funding to remodel and expand the town’s only station, adjacent to the town’s library at Ellsworth and Aldecoa roads, until a downtown station can be built.
“The citizens don’t care whether or not we’re in a fancy fire station or whether we’re running out of space,” Summers said. “What they care about is if we’re able to deliver services to them.”
The planned station at Sossaman and Cloud was originally slated for construction in fiscal 2008-09. A temporary station that is scheduled to open there this weekend would remain in place to serve the community, he said. A new fire station is expected to cost about $5.5 million.
The new Sossaman and Cloud fire station was taken off the town’s plans for the next fiscal year because of slower economic times, Town Manager John Kross said.
“We’re funding the fire program with a three-legged-stool approach — property taxes, construction sales tax and development fees,” Kross said. “Two of those legs are really weak (development fees and construction sales tax).”
Summers said this isn’t the time for Queen Creek to be taking on more debt, and that the solution is to expand the current facility. The renovation and remodel is expected to cost around $125,000.
“Taking on more debt jeopardizes our operating funds so we can provide service,” he said. “We have to protect services.”
The current fire station would expand into what is now the library to offer larger living quarters for firefighters and a “safe room” for the community. Queen Creek’s library is set to move into a new building in October.
Summers wants to build a new fire station downtown once the town sees an increase in home construction — which provides two sources of funding for fire infrastructure.
“If the financial situation changes, we would be able to begin design and build the station in the next three or four years,” Summers said of the new downtown station.
Lisa Coletto-Cohen, town councilwoman and budget committee chairwoman, supports the idea.
“It’s about service delivery,” she said. “It’s not about the station. It makes perfect sense to me.”
|
Current time is 08:30 pm | |
|
|
|